A group of West Bengal Congress activists on Friday allegedly interrupted the screening of The Accidental Prime Minister and resorted to vandalism at a posh Kolkata multiplex on Friday evening, while the film based on former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's tenure faced agitation across the city.
The agitators carrying Congress flags allegedly entered an auditorium in central Kolkata's Quest Mall round 8 pm while the screening of the film was about to start and damaged the screen, causing the show to be cancelled. The Congress activists also allegedly threatened the viewers to immediately leave the auditorium and claimed they would not allow the film to be screened anywhere as its content is "disrespectful" towards the senior party leaders.
The film is an insult towards our senior leaders like Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Manmohan Singh. We have stopped the screening here. We will not allow the film to be screened anywhereRakesh Singh, Congress leader
Some of the agitators were seen shouting slogans like Rahul Gandhi Zinabad... Congress Zindabad (hail Rahul Gandhi and Congress) inside the auditorium.
Earlier on Saturday (Jan 12), the screening of the film had to be cancelled in central Kolkata's Hind Cinema Hall due to "security reasons" amid protest demonstrations by youth Congress activists outside, police said.
Another group of Congress supporters allegedly tried to stop screening at South Kolkata's Indira Cinema Hall but failed after the theater authority immediately informed the police.
West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee took a dig at the timing of the movie's release, terming it as a "BJP propaganda before the 2019 elections". She claimed there should be another film named "The disastrous Prime Minister" in future.
They have released a film just before the Lok Sabha polls. What does the name mean? Everyone is an accidental Prime Minister. They should also make a film titled the disastrous Prime Minister. They should look at the mirror firstMamata Banerjee, West Bengal Chief Minister
Meanwhile the senior state Congress leaders on Friday dissociated themselves from the agitation and said they do not promote or support such form of protest.
We do not support any acts of vandalism. It should not have happened. It is true that the film is funded by BJP. It is a propaganda film and several BJP leaders are promoting it. Our supporters are deeply hurt because the film tends to insult the partyOm Prakash Misra, Senior Congress leader
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